The Empire Plan is a unique health insurance plan designed especially for public employees in New York State. Empire Plan benefits include inpatient and outpatient hospital coverage, medical/surgical coverage, Centers of Excellence for transplants, infertility and cancer, home care services, equipment and supplies, mental health and substance abuse coverage and prescription drug coverage.
ELIOT SPITZER
GOVERNOR
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12239
www.cs.ny.gov
NANCY G. GROENWEGEN
COMMISSIONER
NY07-52
TO: State University of New York (SUNY) Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: 2008 Benefit Information for Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP) enrollees represented by the Graduate Student Employee Union (GSEU)
DATE: November 30, 2007
We are happy to inform you of two publications describing 2008 benefit information for SEHP enrollees represented by GSEU. They include:
- 2008 Rate Letter; and
- NYSHIP Benefit Update on The Prescription Drug Program.
Each is described below for your information.
GSEU Rate Letter
The GSEU Rate Letter will be sent to all SEHP enrollees represented by GSEU in early December. The letter provides the 2008 medical/dental/vision rates for individual and family coverage and the payroll date the new rates will be deducted from paychecks.
NYSHIP Benefit Update on the SEHP Prescription Drug Program for 2008
A NYSHIP Benefit Update has been prepared to introduce the new Prescription Drug vendor – UnitedHealthcare/Medco Health Solutions, Inc. – and to send the 2008 Empire Plan Preferred Drug List (PDL) to enrollees. This publication will be sent to enrollees in early December.
Prescription Drug Program Changes
This publication explains the similarities and changes to the Prescription Drug Program effective January 1, 2008.
Articles in the NYSHIP Benefit Update on the Prescription Drug Program include:
The SEHP Prescription Drug Program - January 1, 2008; What’s New, What’s the Same; No New Benefit Card; January Reminders; How to Use the Prescription Drug Program; Controlling Your Prescription Drug Costs; Questions and Answers; When You Call; Your First Visit to a Participating Pharmacy after January 1, 2008; and New Addresses You Need to Know.
2008 Empire Plan Preferred Drug List
An updated list of the most commonly prescribed generic and brand-name drugs; not the complete list.
Distribution of Materials
The GSEU Rate Letter and the NYSHIP Benefit Update will each be mailed separately to enrollee homes. We will send you a supply of the Benefit Update equal to 3 percent of your GSEU enrollment. Please be sure to give these to new hires. You may copy the Rate Letter as needed or order it from inventory. A shipment of the stand-alone version of the 2008 Preferred Drug List (PDL) was recently mailed to agencies.
Publications available on our web site: www.cs.state.ny.us
Please check this web site for new publications. We generally post publications when we sign off for printing. That means you can see the publications before enrollees start receiving them. You will find the NYSHIP Benefit Update under Health Benefits on NYSHIP Online. The rate information is available on HBA Online under Easy Reference, and rate information has been posted on What’s New? on the public site.
Ordering Publications
You may order additional copies of the NYSHIP Benefit Update or the 2008 Rate Letter by using the Publications Supply Order Forms enclosed with your shipments. Or, instead of faxing the form you may order on HBA Online. From the homepage, open Publications & Forms, then open NYSHIP Publication Order Forms. If you need help accessing ebd_online, please call the Help Desk or your processor. Please wait until you receive your shipment before you place an order.
If you are unsure of how to order publications or have questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.